| 23.11.2005
DKV Joventut Badalona go into their potentially crucial EuroCup match with group leaders Dynamo Moscow Region on Wednesday night with center Andrew Betts convinced his side are one of the strongest in the competition.
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In the EuroCup we are one of the strongest teams |
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Andrew Betts
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| Joventut lie second in Group H with two games remaining, and a win over the Russian outfit will virtually secure their spot in Round II of the tournament.
And Betts said: "In the EuroCup we are one of the strongest teams and we have to get to the knock-out stages and see what happens from there. There are good teams like Dynamo St Petersburg so it is not easy although maybe in the group stages at the start it is not difficult."
Betts, 28, is enjoying a new lease of life after his move to the Badalona following a disappointing spell with Tau Ceramica. He is hopeful of repeating the domestic Copa del Rey triumph that he enjoyed in the 2003-04 campaign with Tau at his new club. Ironically, Tau beat DKV in the final that season.
"Things are going well, it is an easy team to settle into as they are good people and it is a nice city - a good place to be," the English star told PA Sport.
"I think that we have good players here and we have a team which is working hard and listening to the coach.
"We are only going to get better when we have everyone back - we have not yet had the whole team together," he said.
Veteran point guard Elmer Bennett has been sidelined through injury, which prompted the club to re-sign veteran guard Andre Turner.
Injuries to keep players Roberto Archibald and Elmer Bennett have hurt DKV at times this season, but Archibald has returned to play some games and Bennett is also getting back to fitness after being sidelined with a knee injury.
"Our aims here are definitely to make the play-offs and then get as far as we can. We will see if we are in the top eight in January then we will be in the Copa del Rey and anything can happen with three games in three days."
Despite his success, Betts has raised concerns about the future of the sport in his home country.
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I don't think the national team will improve while the BBL sides have five Americans |
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Andrew Betts
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| Basketball has failed to really take off in Britain, unlike in other European countries, and he suggests that reducing the number of foreigners in the British Basketball League could be the first step to helping the game progress in his homeland.
"I don't think the national team will improve while the BBL sides have five Americans," he said.
"Some players have stayed in England this season but only because they are getting extra money from the authorities to remain.
"I don't think more publicity is going to be the answer because it is set with football being the main sport along with rugby and so on. It is difficult to get the sponsors and people coming to watch.
"So many people have tried with different ideas and it hasn't worked so I can't say what the great plan is." | 
